Dame Jenny Abramsky, Chair of the HLF, said: “This is a pivotal time for the Heritage Lottery Fund as we are currently asking people how we should spend our money in the future. These projects funded today demonstrate the huge breadth of our investment and our commitment to championing all sorts of heritage.

“We are, however, living in tough times and there is considerable competition for our grants so value for money and offering a wide range of benefits, such as providing local people with training and volunteering opportunities and saving heritage at risk continue to be crucial.”